Overview

The Curious Writer emphasizes inquiry as both a method of discovery and learning and a driving force behind the writing process. The book operates on the principle that writers who begin with questions, rather than answers, achieve better results in their work. It treats research, revision, and critical reading skills (of both texts and visuals) as organic ...

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Overview

The Curious Writer emphasizes inquiry as both a method of discovery and learning and a driving force behind the writing process. The book operates on the principle that writers who begin with questions, rather than answers, achieve better results in their work. It treats research, revision, and critical reading skills (of both texts and visuals) as organic components of every writing process. Each of the eight writing assignment chapters offers integrated coverage of these three key activities and also provides special attention digital tools for invention and research. Offering a unique, entertaining, and personal author voice, The Curious Writer is sure to grab students’ interest and motivate them to write.

Product Details

Table of Contents

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments

Part 1 The Spirit of Inquiry

Chapter 1 Writing as Inquiry
Motives for Writing
Beliefs About Writing and Writing Development
Exercise 1.1 This I Believe (and This I Don’t)
One Student’s Response
Bernice’s Journal
Inquiring into the Details
Journals
Unlearning Unhelpful Beliefs
The Beliefs of This Book
Allatonceness
Believing You Can Learn to Write Well
Habits of Mind
Starting with Questions, Not Answers
Making the Familiar Strange
Suspending Judgment
Being Willing to Write Badly
Searching for Surprise
Exercise 1.2 A Roomful of Details
One Student’s Response
Bernice’s Journal
Writing Situations and Rhetorical Choices
A First Reflection on Your Writing Process
A Case Study
Inquiring into the Details
Organizing Your Computer Files
Thinking About Your Process
Inquiring into the Details
Portfolios
Exercise 1.3 Literacy Narrative Collage
Exercise 1.4 What Is Your Process?
Problem Solving in Your Writing Process
The Nature of the Writing Process
The Writing Process As Recursive and Flexible
A System for Using Writing to Think
Inquiring into the Details
Invention Strategies
Exercise 1.5 Two Kinds of Thinking
A Writing Process That Harnesses Two Currents of Thought
The Sea and the Mountain
Answering the So What? Question
A Writing Process Driven by Questions
Questioning, Generating, and Judging: A Strategy for Inquiry
Exercise 1.6 A Mini Inquiry Project: Cell Phone Culture
Exercise 1.7 Scenes of Writing
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 2 Reading as Inquiry
Purposes for Academic Reading
Exercise 2.1 U sing the Four Purposes for Academic Reading
Beliefs About Reading
Exercise 2.2 A Reader’s Memoir
One Common Belief That Is an Obstacle
Reading Situations and Rhetorical Choices
Four Frames for Reading
Reading Scenarios
Inquiring into the Details Reading Perspectives
Exercise 2.3 Reading a Life
A Process for Reading to Write
Questions for the Process of Reading to Write
What Do I Want to Know?
What Should I Read to Find Out?
What Do I Do with What I’ve Read?
Having a Dialogue with What You Read
Inquiring into the Details Reading the Visual
Exercise 2.4 D ouble-Entry Journaling with a Visual Text
Techniques for Keeping a Double-Entry Journal
Exercise 2.5 Reading Creatively, Reading Critically
READING Bruce Ballenger, “The Importance of Writing Badly”
One Student’s Response

Briana’s Journal
Wrestling with Academic Discourse: Reading from the Outside In
Exercise 2.6 Reading Reality TV
Features of Academic Discourse
Using What You Have Learned

Part 2 Inquiry Projects

Chapter 3 Writing a Personal Essay
Writing About Experience and Observations
Motives for Writing a Personal Essay
The Personal Essay and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
Readings
Personal Essay 1 Laura Zazulak, “Every Morning for Five Years”
Inquiring into the Essay
Personal Essay 2 Judith Ortiz Cofer, “One More Lesson”
Inquiring into the Essay
Seeing the Form P hoto Essays
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Personal Essay
Writing Beyond the Classroom
Essaying “This I Believe”
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
One Student’s Response

Lauren’s Journal: Lists of Things That Bug Me
Narrowing Down

Inquiring into the Details Clustering or Mapping
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Purpose and Audience
Trying Out
Questions for Reflection
Writing the Sketch
Student Sketch Amanda Stewart, “Earning a Sense of Place”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
Reflecting on What You Learned
Developing
Drafting
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
Inquiring into the Details More Than One Way to Tell a Story

Workshopping
Revising
*Student Essay Seth Marlin, “Smoke of Empire”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 4 Writing a Profile
Writing About People
Motives for Writing a Profile
The Profile and Academic Writing

Features of the Form
Readings
*Profile 1 Bruce Ballenger, “Museum Missionary”
Inquiring into the Essay
*Profile 2 Ian Frazier, “Passengers”
Inquiring into the Essay
Profile 3 Gib Akin, “Learning About Work from Joe Cool”
Inquiring into the Essay
Seeing the Form Sun Boy by William Soule
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Profile
Who Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
One Student’s Response
Narrowing Down
Trying Out
Interviewing
Writing Beyond the Classroom Digital Profiles
Inquiring into the Details Recording Interviews
Interview Notes Margaret Parker, “Selected Interview Notes: “Medical Student””
Writing the Sketch
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Inquiring into the Details Using Audacity to Record and Edit Audio
Drafting
Workshopping
Revising
*Student Essay Micaela Fisher, “Number 6 Orchard”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 5 Writing a Review
Writing That Evaluates
Motives for Writing a Review
The Review and Academic Writing
Seeing the Form Choosing the Best Picture
Features of the Form
Readings
*Review 1 Roger Ebert, “A Christmas Story”
Inquiring into the Essay
*Review 2 Melinda Newman, “Nickelback’s Here and Now”
Inquiring into the Essay
Review 3 Seth Schiesel, “Grand Theft Auto Takes on New York”
Inquiring into the Essay
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Review Essay
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
Narrowing Down
Trying Out
Thinking About Criteria
Inquiring into the Details Collaborating on Criteria
Writing the Sketch
*Student Sketch Laura Burns, “Recipe for a Great Film: Unlikeable People, Poor Choices, and Little Redemption”

Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Drafting
Workshopping
Revising
*Student Essay Laura Burns, “How to Not Feel Good and Feel Good About It”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 6 Writing a Proposal
Writing About Problems and Solutions
Problems of Consequence
Problems of Manageable Scale
Motives for Writing a Proposal
The Proposal and Academic Writing
Inquiring into the Details Writing a Research Proposal
Features of the Form
Readings
*Proposal 1 Buzz Bissinger, “Why College Football Should Be Banned”
Inquiring into the Essay
Proposal 2 “Green Dining”
Inquiring into the Essay
Proposal 3 Michael Pollan, “Why Bother?”
Inquiring into the Essay
Seeing the Form A Problem in Pictures
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Proposal
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up

One Student’s Response
Narrowing Down
Trying Out
Writing the Sketch
*Student Sketch Jenna Appleman, “Loving and Hating Reality TV”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Inquiring into the Details Design Tips for Basic Web Pages
Drafting
Inquiring into the Details Evidence—A Case Study
Workshopping
Revising
*Student Essay Jenna Appleman, “Avoidable Accidents: How to Make Reality TV Safer”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 7 Writing an Argument Writing to Persuade People
What Is Argument?
Two Sides to Every Argument?
The Machinery of Argument: Claims, Reasons, and Evidence
Claims: What You Want People to Believe
Reasons: The “Because. . .” Behind the Claim
Evidence: Proof of the Point
Seeing the Form T he “Imagetext” as Argument
Credibility, Emotion, and Logic
Analyzing Argument
Exercise 7.1 A rgument as Therapy
One Student’s Response

Rebecca’s Journal
Inquiring into the Details Common Logical Fallacies
Motives for Writing an Argument
Writing Beyond the Classroom Public Argument in a Digital Age
The Argument and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
Readings
*Argument 1 Edward Tufte, “PowerPoint Is Evil”
Inquiring into the Essay
Argument 2 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, “The Language of War Is Killing”
Inquiring into the Essay
Argument 3 Loye Young, “Is Humiliation an Ethically Appropriate Response to Plagiarism?”
Inquiring into the Essay
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing an Argument
What Are You Going to Write About?

Opening Up
One Student’s Response
Narrowing Down
Trying Out
Writing the Sketch
*Student Sketch Rebecca Thompson, “Twitter a Profound Thought?”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Drafting
Inquiring into the Details What Evidence Can Do
Workshopping

Revising
Inquiring into the Details Toulmin: A Method for Analyzing an Argument
*Student Essay Rebecca Thompson, “Social Networking Social Good?”
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 8 Writing a Critical Essay
Writing About Literature
Motives for Writing a Critical Essay
The Critical Essay and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
Writing on the Outside Book Groups
Readings
Short Story 1 Leslie Marmon Silko, “Lullaby”
Inquiring into the Story
One Student’s Response Noel’s Journal
*Short Story 2 Gish Gen, “Who’s Irish?”
Inquiring into the Story
Inquiring into the Details Why
Literary Theory Is Not a Sleep Aid
*Film Criticism James Parker, “Our Zombies, Ourselves”
Inquiring into the Essay

Seeing the Form Young Ladies in the Banks of the Seine by Gustave Coubet
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Critical Essay
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
Inquiring into the Details Common Literary Devices
Narrowing Down
Inquiring into the Details What Is a “Strong Reading”?
Writing the Sketch
*Student Sketch Julie Bird, “What Is the Role of Nature in ‘Lullaby’?”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Drafting
Workshopping
Revising
Polishing
*Student Essay Julie Bird, “Nature as Being: Landscape in Silko’s ‘Lullaby’ ”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 9 Writing an Ethnographic Essay
Writing About Culture
Motives for Writing Ethnography
Ethnography and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
Readings
Ethnographic Essay 1 Judith Ortiz Cofer, “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”
Inquiring into the Essay
Ethnographic Essay 2 Rebekah Nathan, “My Freshman Year: Worldliness and Worldview”
Inquiring into the Essay
Seeing the Form German Cowboys
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing the Ethnographic Essay
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
Writing Beyond the Classroom Commercial Ethnography

Narrowing Down
Inquiring into the Details Researching Trends and Subcultures on the Web
Trying Out
Inquiring into the Details Questions Ethnographers Ask
Inquiring into the Details Ethnography and Ethics
Field Notes Rita Guerra, “Field Notes on Friday Afternoon at Emerald Lanes”
Writing the Sketch
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Developing
Inquiring into the Details Useful Library Databases for Ethnography
Drafting

Workshopping

Revising
Student Essay Kersti Harter, “Beyond ‘Gaydar’”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Part 3 Inquiring Deeper

Chapter 10 Writing a Research Essay
Writing with Research
Research Essays, Research Papers, and Research Reports
Motives for Writing a Research Essay
The Research Essay and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
Readings: Facebook and Depression
Exercise 10.1 Flash Research on Facebook and Depression
*Reading 1: Web Page Stephanie Pappas, “Facebook with Care: Social Networking Site Can Hurt Self-Esteem”
Inquiring into the Essay
*Reading 2: Journal Article Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, and Council on Communications and Media, “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families”
Inquiring into the Essay
*Reading 3: Reference “Definition of a ‘Major Depressive Episode’ ”
*Reading 4: Blog “Pediatrics Gets It Wrong About ‘Facebook Depression’ ”

Inquiring into the Essay
Exercise 10.1 (Continued from p. 391) 409
The Writing Process
Inquiry Project: Writing a Research Essay
What Are You Going to Write About?
Opening Up
One Student’s Response Julian’s Journal
Narrowing Down
Trying Out
Sample Research Proposal
Moving from Proposal to Draft
Developing
Drafting
Workshopping
Revising
Student Essay Gordon E. Seirup, “College Dating”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 11 Research Techniques
Methods of Collecting
Research in the Electronic Age
Research Routines
Power Searching Using Google
Power Searching in the Library
Developing Working Knowledge
Developing Focused Knowledge
Inquiring into the Details Full-Text Articles and the Convenience Trap
Evaluating Library Sources
Inquiring into the Details T he Working Bibliography
Advanced Internet Research Techniques
Evaluating Web Sources
Research with Living Sources: Interviews, Surveys, and Fieldwork
Inquiring into the Details T ypes of Survey Questions
Conducting a Survey
Using Survey Results in Your Writing
Fieldwork: Research on What You See and Hear
Writing in the Middle: Note-Taking Techniques
One Student’s Response
Using What You Have Learned

Chapter 14 The Writer’s Workshop
Making the Most of Peer Review
Being Read
Divorcing the Draft
Instructive Talk
Models for Writing Workshops
Full-Class Workshops
Small-Group Workshops
One-on-One Peer Review
The Writer’s Responsibilities
The Reader’s Responsibilities
What Can Go Wrong and What to Do About It
Inquiring into the Details Finding a Role
Exercise 14.1 Group Problem Solving
One Student’s Response Amy’s Perspective on Workshops
Methods of Responding
Experiential and Directive Responses
Response Formats
Reflecting on the Workshop
Using What You Have Learned

Appendix A The Writing Portfolio
What Is a Portfolio?
Types of Portfolios
Unevaluated Portfolios
Evaluated Portfolios
Why Require a Portfolio?
Organizing Portfolios
Writing a Reflective Letter or Essay
Final Preparations

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